You & Christ
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Relationships can be complicated especially if you look at them from a secular perspective. There is the assumption of give and take and if one’s individual needs aren’t being met, the relationship soon fizzles and thus no relationship is sustained. What is fortunate is that Christ doesn’t walk away from the relationship. He continues to pursue us. However, what is unfortunate is that we willingly walk away from Him because we don’t get what we want out of the relationship (notice I said what we want not what we need). This happens because we fail to know and understand that we have a desperate need for Christ. Not for materialism or superficial happiness but for the internal joy and peace that only Christ can bring.
When you enter into a relationship with Christ you are entering into a lifelong commitment of trust and hopefully what follows is obedience to Him. That means doing what is right and not based on what others want from you or you from them. That is not what Christ is asking of us. Obedience is the result of the love Christ extended to us and our response should be a desire to please Him. Like a marriage relationship, a relationship with Christ is rooted in a commitment of love and trust. It is a relationship that weathers the storms of life.
Spend time with Him
Jeremiah 1:5 tells us: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Christ knew you from the beginning of time. Spend time getting to know Him.
Don’t make assumptions
Our knowledge of Christ may not have come from reading His word but from what someone may have told us about Him. There is danger in this. We each have our own perspective and our own opinion about things. Christ doesn’t want His relationship with you to be based on what someone else said. He wants you know Him for yourself. The only way to know Him is to read His word.
Read the Bible (Study)
The Bible is a book inspired by Christ but written by men. Reading the Bible is like ready the biography of Christ. He had others put pen to paper so that we would have His history. Through the Bible we learn about the character, the nature, the love, the desire, and the will of Christ. Although written many, many years ago, the message throughout is consistent and Christ’s love is never failing. Even when disobedient (i.e., not following His will but our own), He never stops loving us. He speaks to us through His word.
Find a quiet place: Meditate
Let Christ speak to you in the quiet.
Pray
Just like the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He will guide you in prayer.
Contemplate
Similar to meditation, in the quiet, surrender to what Christ is revealing to you.
Surrender
Giving up is not the same thing as surrender. We can give up when we sense the opposing force has the upper hand and we no longer have the power to defeat it. However, surrendering to Christ means ceasing to resist without coercion and submitting to His authority.
Faith
Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
You can’t follow what you don’t believe. Believing in Christ is an act of faith. No hocus-pocus but coming to the realization that Christ is real and He reveals Himself in new and wondrous ways daily.
Trust
Psalm 9:10 tells us, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Christ has proven Himself over and over again and He doesn’t detract from His word. Everything He said He would do He has done and continues to do so today. It is a tangible reality that He can be placed in charge of our care because He wants the best for us. That means, whether in His presence or not, He will do whatever He said He would do. You learn this from studying His word and seeking Him in prayer.